Butcher takes top turkey title

- Published: 17 September, 2007

Independent family butcher C Lidgate has scooped the coveted British Turkey Butcher of the Year title.

Ben Lidgate, son of the current owner David, collected the trophy from actor Robert Powell at a gala British Turkey Awards in Claridges ballroom.

The Holland Park, London, business , now in the fourth generation of family ownership, was declared the winner for "its wealth of home produced products and recipe dishes all made with British turkey".

The British turkey industry threw open the Best Butcher award category to customers , as well as allowing butchers to nominate themselves. Lidgate beat off strong competition from the two other short listed butchers - Chambers, in Nottingham, and Clive Downs, in Porlock, Somerset.

Kelly Turkeys, of Danbury, Essex, which supplies Lidgate, picked up the award for Best Premium Christmas Product for its free range KellyBronze.

Asda was presented with the Retailer of the Year trophy for the range, packaging and promotion of British turkey all year round. An all-year fresh and free range turkey from Waitrose won the Best Primary category, while market leader Bernard Matthews won the Best Branded prize for the packaging of its new Fresh Turkey Drummers.

Paul Kelly, managing director of Kelly Turkey Farms, was named Turkey Man of the Year by his colleagues.

He was presented with the Rupert Chalmers-Watson trophy, an honour created in 1979 but not awarded for the last six years.

The evening also raised more than £5,000 for the children's medical charity SPARKS.

Winners in full:

Best Christmas - Premium

Kelly Turkeys - KellyBronze Whole Turkey

Best Christmas - Family

Asda - Stuffed Turkey Breast Joint with Pork Lattice

Best Barbecue

Morrisons - Hot & Spicy Turkey Kebabs

Best Branded

Bernard Matthews - Fresh Turkey Dinosaurs